TL;DR — 3 things to know
- KTX gets you there in about 1.5–2 hours. From Cheongnyangni (about 1h 36min, ₩26,000) or Seoul Station (about 1h 57min, ₩27,600), adult standard fares. Booking opens 2 months ahead, and weekend trains fill up.
- Pick two areas, not four. Gyeongpo (beach and lake), Anmok (coffee street), Jeongdongjin (sunrise coast, to the south) and Jumunjin (fish market, to the north) are spread out. City buses take roughly 15–50 minutes from the station.
- City buses cost ₩1,530 by card. Two free transfers within an hour if you tap off when you get off. Taxis start at ₩4,600, and Kakao T works here.
Getting There: KTX or Express Bus
The Seoul–Gangneung KTX opened in December 2017, ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and made Gangneung an easy day trip.
Faster
Cheongnyangni → Gangneung
About 1h 36min (fastest about 1h 26min)
₩26,000 adult standard
About 24 trains a day
Line 1 / Gyeongui–Jungang Line
₩26,000 adult standard
About 24 trains a day
Line 1 / Gyeongui–Jungang Line
Central
Seoul Station → Gangneung
About 1h 57min
₩27,600 adult standard
About 14 trains a day
Lines 1 & 4 / AREX
₩27,600 adult standard
About 14 trains a day
Lines 1 & 4 / AREX
Direct to the coast
Seoul → Jeongdongjin
Donghae-bound KTX stopping at Jeongdongjin
About 4 trains on weekdays, 7 at weekends (March 2026 report)
About 2h 5–10min from Seoul Station
Check the fare when you book
About 4 trains on weekdays, 7 at weekends (March 2026 report)
About 2h 5–10min from Seoul Station
Check the fare when you book
Cheaper option
Express bus → Gangneung
About 2h 47min from Seoul Express Bus Terminal
₩26,800 (Excellent class; no standard class)
Dong Seoul Terminal also runs to Gangneung
Check which terminal your ticket uses
₩26,800 (Excellent class; no standard class)
Dong Seoul Terminal also runs to Gangneung
Check which terminal your ticket uses
Book early for weekends. Use Korail's English site (korail.com/global/eng) or the Korail+ app (KorailTalk was renamed Korail+ on 3 August 2026). Booking opens 2 months before departure at 07:00 KST. Foreign cards are sometimes rejected, so keep Trip.com, Klook or a station ticket window as a backup. Step by step: KTX booking guide · express bus guide. Train counts and times above come from third-party timetables (October 2026); the fare on your booking screen is what counts.
Gangneung Station has a tourist information centre (033-642-8692). Gangneung City says interpreter guides are on duty there for foreign visitors (Yonhap, April 2025).
Getting Around Gangneung
The sights are spread along the coast. Plan one route and check live times in Naver Map.
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🚌
₩1,530City busAdult fare ₩1,530 with a transit card, ₩1,700 in cash. Up to two free transfers within 1 hour, but only if you tap your card on the reader when you get off (not on the same route number). For routes and arrivals, use Naver Map.
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🚕
from ₩4,600TaxiMetered across Gangneung: ₩4,600 for the first 2 km, then ₩100 per 131 m up to 6 km and ₩200 per 131 m beyond (rates from 5 August 2024). Kakao T works for calling a taxi; see the taxi guide.
🚌 From Gangneung Station by bus (Gangneung City guide)
~20 min
Gyeongpo Beach — 202-1 or 202-2 from the station-side stop (강릉역)
~16 min
Anmok Coffee Street — 225-1, 300-1 or 314-1 from the stop across the road (강릉역건너편)
~16 min
Chodang Tofu Village — 212 (about 12 min) from the station-side stop, then a 4-min walk
~7 min
Jungang Market — 300, 302 or 314 (about 4 min), then a 3-min walk
~50 min
Jumunjin Fish Market — 300 (about 46 min), then a 5-min walk
check
Jeongdongjin — route 112 ends at Hourglass Park (모래시계공원) on the city timetable. We could not confirm the journey time, so check Naver Map.
The Gyeongpo Area
A lagoon separated from the sea by a long sandy beach, about 20 minutes from the station by bus.
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🏖️
FreeGyeongpo Beach (경포해변)One of the biggest beaches on the East Coast. In 2026 the swimming season ran from 4 July to 23 August, with swimming allowed 09:00–18:00. Outside the season it is a beach walk. Weekends are busy.
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🪷
Lake path freeGyeongpo Lake & Gyeongpodae (경포호 · 경포대)A walking path runs around the lagoon, which is known for cherry blossoms in spring. Gyeongpodae pavilion was first built in 1326, in the Goryeo period; the present building dates from a 1745 rebuild, and it was designated a national Treasure in 2019.
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🍲
MealChodang Tofu Village (초당순두부마을)Restaurants serving Gangneung's soft tofu, traditionally set with seawater as the coagulant. The name is linked to the Joseon scholar Heo Yeop (pen name Chodang), though written evidence for that story is thin.
Anmok Coffee Street
A row of sea-view cafes along Anmok Beach, south of Gyeongpo, about 16 minutes from the station by bus.
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☕
Cafe pricesGangneung Coffee Street (강릉커피거리)VisitKorea notes that almost every cafe here roasts its own beans, which is why Gangneung calls itself a coffee city. Weekday mornings are calmer.
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🎪
VariesGangneung Coffee FestivalHeld every autumn around the coffee street. The 18th festival ran from 21 to 25 October 2026. In 2026 part of the street was car-free during the festival; expect crowds.
Jeongdongjin — The Sunrise Coast
South of Gangneung. A few direct KTX trains stop here; otherwise use bus 112 or a taxi from Gangneung.
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🌅
FreeJeongdongjin Beach & sunriseThe name is popularly explained as the spot due east (正東) of Seoul's Gwanghwamun, though historians note the place name is older than that story. It is one of Korea's best-known sunrise spots.
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⏳
FreeHourglass Park (모래시계공원)The city built a giant hourglass here in 2000: 8.06 m across and timed so the sand takes exactly one year to run. It is turned over at midnight every New Year.
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🚂
₩1,000 entryJeongdongjin StationListed by Guinness as the station closest to the sea. To walk onto the platform without a train ticket, buy an entry ticket: Korail sells a ₩1,000 commemorative entry ticket here.
Jumunjin — The North Coast
A fishing port north of Gangneung, about 50 minutes by bus 300.
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🐟
Pay per itemJumunjin Fish Market (주문진수산시장)Stalls selling fresh seafood. Many will slice raw fish (회) to take away. Hours vary by stall; visitors report many closing by around 8 pm, so do not leave it too late.
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🚏
FreeBTS Bus Stop, Hyangho Beach (향호해변)A photo set from the cover shoot of BTS's 2017 album You Never Walk Alone. Route 300 ends at Hyangho-ri (향호리), just north of Jumunjin.
What to Eat
Local dishes worth planning a meal around.
Chodang Sundubu
Soft tofu set with seawater. Eat it at Chodang Tofu Village near Gyeongpo.
Buckwheat dishes
Buckwheat noodles and buckwheat jelly (memilmuk) are Gangwon staples.
Gamja Ongsimi
Potato dumpling soup, another Gangwon classic.
Gangneung coffee
Sea-view cafes along Anmok Beach, most roasting their own beans.
Jumunjin seafood
Raw fish and seafood from the fish market at Jumunjin port.
Jungang Market
Gangneung's central market, a few minutes by bus from the station.
Sample Itineraries
Two plans. Check train and bus times on the day; the order matters more than the clock.
⏱ Plan A — Gyeongpo + Anmok (relaxed)
Morning
KTX from Cheongnyangni or Seoul Station to Gangneung
Late AM
Bus 202-1/202-2 to Gyeongpo Beach (~20 min). Walk the beach and the lake path to Gyeongpodae
Lunch
Soft tofu at Chodang Tofu Village (short taxi from Gyeongpo)
Afternoon
Anmok Coffee Street (taxi, or check buses in Naver Map)
Late PM
Jungang Market, then back to Gangneung Station
Evening
KTX back to Seoul
⏱ Plan B — Jeongdongjin + Anmok
Morning
Direct KTX to Jeongdongjin (only a few trains), or KTX to Gangneung and then bus 112 or a taxi
Late AM
Jeongdongjin Beach, the station and Hourglass Park
Lunch
Seafood near Jeongdongjin
Afternoon
Bus or taxi back toward Gangneung; Anmok Coffee Street
Evening
KTX back to Seoul from Gangneung Station
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from Seoul to Gangneung?
Take the KTX from Cheongnyangni (about 1h 36min, ₩26,000) or Seoul Station (about 1h 57min, ₩27,600); these are adult standard fares. Unlike most KTX routes, these Gangneung-line KTX-Eum fares were not lowered in the 1 September 2026 fare cut. Book on korail.com/global/eng or the Korail+ app; booking opens 2 months before departure at 07:00 KST. Express buses from Seoul Express Bus Terminal take about 2h 47min (₩26,800).
Is Gangneung worth a day trip from Seoul?
Yes, if you keep it to two areas. Gyeongpo with Anmok Coffee Street is the easy pairing; Jeongdongjin or Jumunjin each take a bigger slice of the day because they are further out (Jumunjin is about 50 minutes by bus).
How do I get to Jeongdongjin?
A few Donghae-bound KTX trains stop at Jeongdongjin directly (about 4 on weekdays and 7 at weekends, according to a March 2026 report). Otherwise take the KTX to Gangneung and then city bus 112, which ends at Hourglass Park, or a taxi.
How much do buses and taxis cost in Gangneung?
City buses cost ₩1,530 by transit card or ₩1,700 in cash, with up to two free transfers within an hour if you tap off. Taxis are metered and start at ₩4,600 for the first 2 km.
Is Eodal Beach near Gangneung?
No. Eodal Beach is in Donghae city, between Mukho Port and Mangsang Beach, about 3 km northeast of Donghae City Hall. It is not on the way from Gangneung to Jeongdongjin, so treat it as a separate trip.
Can I do Gangneung and Sokcho in one day?
Not comfortably. The intercity bus from Gangneung to Sokcho takes about 1 hour to 1 hour 46 minutes each way, depending on the service (third-party timetables, October 2026). Choose one city for a day trip.
Sources
- KTX fares: Hankyung, 21 Nov 2017 (Seoul ₩27,600, Cheongnyangni ₩26,000 at launch); third-party timetables (train.mustarddata.com, train.asamaru.net) checked 25 Oct 2026 for current fares, train counts and times.
- Jeongdongjin KTX stops: Newskorea, 29 Mar 2026. Korail booking site, Korail+ app and 2-month booking window: Inner Korea KTX booking guide (checked 25 Oct 2026).
- Express bus Seoul–Gangneung: Inner Korea express bus guide (Kobus fares, checked 25 Oct 2026).
- Gangneung City bus information system (bis.gn.go.kr): fares, transfer rules, timetables. Gangneung City bus guide (gnroad.kr/easybus): routes and times from Gangneung Station. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- Gangneung City Information Center (its.gn.go.kr): taxi fares from 5 Aug 2024.
- Newspim, 23 Jun 2026: Gyeongpo Beach 2026 season. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (encykorea.aks.ac.kr): Gyeongpodae and Chodang tofu. KBS, 12 Nov 2019: Gyeongpodae Treasure designation.
- Yonhap, 29 Dec 2025: Jeongdongjin hourglass. Korail commemorative entry ticket page (korail.com). VisitKorea: Gangneung Coffee Street and Eodal Beach. Ajunews, 22 Oct 2026, and Financial News (News1), 25 Oct 2026: 18th Gangneung Coffee Festival dates and car-free section. Yonhap, 29 Apr 2025: Gangneung Station tourist information centre.